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Ratings show a 40 percent decline in prime-time viewers since 2009.
AP photo composite by POLITICO

“What we understood from the get-go was that by focusing on opinion [and] analysis and using topic-area expertise to draw conclusions, we could easily differentiate ourselves from CNN, [which] was so wedded to just regurgitating the facts,” Goldin said.

New York University journalism professor Jay Rosen, author of the PressThink blog, said the choice doesn’t have to be between “the view from nowhere” — what reporters might call "straight down the middle" journalism” — and the Fox News/MSNBC model.

“Maybe the view from nowhere has failed, not because audiences want opinion rather than hard news but because the Voice of God isn't as convincing as it once was,” Rosen said. “Nothing will improve at CNN until the people running the news report consider that viewlessness may not be an advantage, but ideology is not the only alternative.”

Press added that he thinks CNN “is going to have to bite the bullet and do some advocacy programming” because, in his opinion, “there ain’t no room in the middle.”

Viewers, he continued, get their straight news elsewhere and are “looking for opinion in prime time ... anchors with an edge.”

Bring in big personalities

Adding more “edge” in prime time doesn’t necessarily mean rushing out to hire a fire-breathing host from the left or the right. Personalities larger than life, or so normal they stand out, would do the trick.

Michael Wolff, founder of Newser.com and a Vanity Fair contributing editor, pointed out that “the viewing audience is just less and less interested in traditional television, civic-minded news delivered by what are, in effect, news readers.”

“CNN has to figure out how to make the news either more efficient or more entertaining,” Wolff continued. “These are the two keystones of modern news, and the network is deficient on both counts. I suppose I would try formats that gave you what you need to know in minutes instead of blocks and personalities that had stronger voices — not necessarily ideological voices, but more unique and identifiable ones.”

As for who could fill that role, Wolff said it could be “anybody who doesn't reek of conventional television.”

Wolff noted one of the secrets of Fox News Chief Executive Roger Ailes’s success: “Find people who don't look or sound like what you think television people should look and sound like.”

Aaron Brown, who was replaced in 2005 by Cooper at 10 p.m., said that CNN doesn’t have the “big, broad personalities” who seem to excel these days in the evenings on cable news. Brown included himself in that group, along with Campbell Brown, John King and Cooper.

“If I were at CNN, the thing that would scare me is not that we’re losing but that it’s that reruns are beating us,” Brown said. “At 10 p.m., a 2-hour-old “Countdown” is beating my guy, the guy I have invested millions in [in] promotional dollars.”

Jazz up the broadcast

Atlantic contributing editor Michael Hirschorn, a former top executive at VH1 who founded production company Ish Entertainment, said CNN should step away from “headline-type news,” which has become “increasingly easy to access and, therefore, commodified.”

“What's working right now is news packaged as entertainment,” Hirschorn continued, “which is a tempting route for them to go down and which they've gone down in a toe-in-the-water kind of way.” He pointed out the short-lived comedy news show hosted by D.L. Hughley as an example.

However, Hirschorn said that “it's a gamble they can only take once in earnest.”

Readers' Comments (1095)

I for one would welcome a more moderate cable format. I just get so irritated with MSNBC and the spitting liberals there that I can't watch it. CNN could pick up a lot of viewers by not being so anti-conservative.

"Jon Klein, the network president, has consistently defended the network’s down-the-middle news strategy " - that's really funny propaganda...........The FACT is CNN is a liberal/progressive propaganda outlet. They are'nt as extreme as the liberal/progressive fascists at MSNBC with their star, Keith Adolf Olbermann, who attacks, mocks, smears, and slanders anyone or any organization that doesn't agree with his left-wing dogma. Nope I'm afraid only Fox represents the majority of Americans on cable, fairly. Which is why the American people put Fox as the MOST trusted name in news......................something CNN used to report................but that was a LIE.

"Jon Klein, the network president, has consistently defended the network’s down-the-middle news strategy " - that's really funny propaganda...........The FACT is CNN is a liberal/progressive propaganda outlet. They are'nt as extreme as the liberal/progressive fascists at MSNBC with their star, Keith Adolf Olbermann, who attacks, mocks, smears, and slanders anyone or any organization that doesn't agree with his left-wing dogma. Nope I'm afraid only Fox represents the majority of Americans on cable, fairly. Which is why the American people put Fox as the MOST trusted name in news......................something CNN used to report................but that was a LIE.

"Jon Klein, the network president, has consistently defended the network’s down-the-middle news strategy " - that's really funny propaganda...........The FACT is CNN is a liberal/progressive propaganda outlet. They are'nt as extreme as the liberal/progressive fascists at MSNBC with their star, Keith Adolf Olbermann, who attacks, mocks, smears, and slanders anyone or any organization that doesn't agree with his left-wing dogma. Nope I'm afraid only Fox represents the majority of Americans on cable, fairly. Which is why the American people put Fox as the MOST trusted name in news......................something CNN used to report................but that was a LIE.

the only way to fix any corporate owned media is by allowing the truth to be told as opposed to allowing only the things they want us to know. lies by omission are still lies. bias news from anyone is not what the people want or need and people are waking up to the fraud. the media continues to lose credibility due to lack of honesty no matter what side of the political spectrum they claim to represent.

Maybe they can get that guy, Rachel Maddow to do a show on their network. He is on right after that bed-wetter Olberman cries for an hour... I guess it is hard for CNN to have a liberal program that can compete with that drama...

Does this article really intend to say that CNN is moderate and neutral? THAT is frickin' hilarious. Just like Politico's objectivity, right?

Unreal.

Here's the deal. If you want ratings - tell the truth, be journalists.

Don't just take what Obama, Alexrod and Emanuel spoon feed you as the "news" - do some investigating. You know, those silly little things you learned in journalism about asking questions.

And I would not take advice from anyone with MSNBC - seen their ratings as of late? That "left" alternative to Fox is not exactly shaping up since Fox is founded in substance and truth more than opinion and fantasy (see all MSM stations).

See the problem is that CNN is no different than ABC or NBC or CBS. They claim objectivity and yet their liberal bias is so incredibly obvious - see all those news stories on the guy that legitimately threatened Cantor's life and fired a bullet through his office window? No. But did you say all those stories about Tea Partiers saying mean and hurtful things about the democrats?? Waah.

Well, they could do like FOX and make "news" catered to the most ignorant television watchers among us. That would probably boost their ratings and give all of these politico freepers a warmie to boot.

Only republicans, who are sooooooooo far to the right of most Americans, could see CNN as liberal. Ever wonder why everything except Fox News is liberal to these freaks. My guess is the majority of them never switch of Fox News long enough to see what CNN is doing. They just jump straight to the RW talking points. Idiots